Digital Branch of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program

Ransom Tony "R.T." Schultz

Ransom Tony (R.T.) Schultz came to Alaska in 1938, the same year he bought his first plane and obtained his pilot's license. He began flying for Star Airlines (later Alaska Airlines) in 1940, and in 1950 was chosen as their first chief bush pilot. He also flew in Alaska for Northern Consolidated Airlines, Wien Airlines, Interior Airlines, and as a bush pilot for the Bureau of Land Management. Tony also worked with Hawkins & Powers, who had the forest firefighting contract with the Bureau of Land Management. By modifying surplus World War II airplanes, Hawkins & Powers were pioneers in developing airplanes that could drop fire retardant chemicals, like Borate, onto fires. Tony Schultz died in 1993.

Ransom Tony (R.T.) Schultz made this recording of himself on July 6, 1981 in Fairbanks, Alaska. He speaks about the role of aviation in forest firefighting operations around Alaska, including the types of airplanes used and what conditions were like.

Tony Ransom (R.T.) Schultz was interviewed on February 21, 1975 by Bob Wright in Fairbanks, Alaska. In this excerpted portion of the longer interview, Tony talks about observations and experiences when working as a pilot out of Cape Thompson in the early 1960s. These include seeing an odd cloud when flying out of Kotzebue in 1962 that he thinks was from a Russian atomic test,and the U-2 airplane that landed at Kotzebue.